08 March 2009
First ever money transfer from Abu Dhabi to East Timor
I made history today I’m sure. After about an hour in the head office of HSBC in Abu Dhabi I think that I have sent US$15,000 to Elvino the builder’s account in Baucau in East Timor – bizarrely (and quite un-nervingly) via Macau and via an account in Dili. I had to first convince that the bank staff that a country called “Timor Leste” did exist and then try and explain why someone living in the Middle East wanted to donate money to such a place. I am sure they suspected me of some elaborate money laundering scheme – or quite possibly just madness. I did wonder about my sanity as I sent so much money off into the unknown. I guess we wait and see if it turns up where it’s supposed to.
project: OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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06 March 2009
Impressive building work
Simon and Agostinho went out to Ostico again on the weekend, this time with Catherine and Sharad, two of the DLA Piper lawyers on secondment to the government in East Timor. Agostinho (the technical and practical person amongst the other three who are lawyers!) is very impressed with the work of Elvino. He has said that his attention to detail (even down to choice of paint color to match and hide the local mud) has been impressive. He could not be more positive with how things are going.
Only three months in and we are now thinking about the opening. Kirsty Sword Gusmao and the East Timor Education Minister are going to open the school which is fabulous. It’s amazing to think that they feel so strongly about this project for one small school to devote a whole day of their time to attending the opening.
project: OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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04 March 2009
Construction has started – we are on our way!
Simon, Jenny and Agostinho went out to Ostico today to meet and talk to representatives of the community. Everything went really well and Simon placed the shovel of cement. From the look of it, I’m betting it’s the first shovel of cement he’s every laid!
Agostinho had put together packs for each of the 350 school children. They only cost a few dollars each and contained things like toothpaste and soap. But the look on the children’s faces shows the incredible value of those items to them.
 
project: OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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18 February 2009
We find Elvino the builder
After a few false starts, it looks like the ball is finally rolling. Simon and Agostinho have found a builder, Elvino who is very well respected in the area. He’ll use local labour and seems really committed to the project and the idea of providing the children with a place to learn.
When Simon gave our official go-ahead behalf in a meeting, everyone present sat back in the chairs in surprise and some of them laughed. It turns out, no-one (including Agostinho) had really believed that we would go ahead with the project. They’ve seen so many aid projects promised and then not materialise, that they had really expected ours to be the same. While it’s lovely to be able to surprise people, it’s incredibly sad to think of the things that have happened to make them feel that way. It’s also quite incredible to realise the attention and assistance our project has received from a high level of the East Timorese government. It only shows how great the need is and how appreciative the East Timorese and their government are of people helping their efforts to make things better for the population.
project: OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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09 October 2008
Ostico Project Starts
The Education Department and Kirsty Sword Gusmao have come up with a list of schools on the “desperate” list. Simon, Jenny Coles (Kirsty’s right hand woman) and Agostinho Soares who is a Timorese advisor in the Prime Minister’s office, have been out to visit one of them in a little village called Ostico three hours outside the capital, Dili. I received Simon’s report yesterday. It’s not the neat, clean package we were looking for. And it looks like it would cost a lot more than the amount we were originally planning.
But after looking at the pictures and reading the report I knew there was no way I wanted to move past this and look for something else that fits our “criteria” better. The photos show a building that looks fit only for demolition, with no windows and a rotting ceiling. It is sitting in the middle of an unbroken stretch of red dirt broken only by a u shaped piece of pipe embedded in the ground which seems to constitute the playground. Twisted upside down on the pipe, dressed in faded and worn clothes is the most gorgeous child with a smile stretching from ear to ear.
I’ve just heard back from Graham and from Bruce, who is now part of the team. They feel exactly the same as Stephen and I. So – Ostico school is going to be our first project. I think we’ve also learnt our first lesson – things don’t come in simple and neat packages in countries that have been through the things East Timor has.
project: OSTICO EAST TIMOR
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